Her Story
About Kristy
Kristy Gulbransen is a Production Planning and Scheduling Technician at Idaho National Laboratory, working within the Master Scheduling and Planning Department through Battelle Energy Alliance. She began her career at the facility in a hands-on facilities role before transitioning into production, where she spent approximately seven years and advanced from Technician 2 to Technician 4. She also served as an on-the-job trainer, building experience in production processes, equipment, materials, and employee development.
Kristy later transitioned into production planning and scheduling, where her hands-on background has given her a practical understanding of the work being scheduled and the requirements involved in bringing projects from initial planning through completion. Her current responsibilities involve coordinating schedules and materials while communicating with engineers, quality professionals, production operators, foremen, and document-control teams. She takes pride in maintaining accurate schedules and inventory and in seeing projects progress successfully from beginning to end. Her career progression has also helped her develop significantly in confidence and communication, allowing her to take on responsibilities and participate in meetings that would have been outside her comfort zone earlier in her career.
Alongside her professional work, Kristy has a longstanding commitment to athletics, leadership, and youth development. She has coached for approximately 16 years, including 11 years of varsity girls' soccer coaching, and currently coaches volleyball. She is also involved in workplace safety and serves as Chair of the Wellness Committee, where she has helped promote mental health, nutrition, and employee well-being. Kristy attributes her growth to perseverance, continuous learning, stepping outside her comfort zone, and a willingness to ask questions and build relationships. She hopes to move into a leadership or management role in the future and believes that trust, honesty, teamwork, safety, and doing the right thing are central to meaningful work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kristy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to perseverance, continuous learning, and my willingness to step outside of my comfort zone. When I look at where I started and where I am today, I am proud of how much I have grown both professionally and personally.
I began my career doing very hands-on work and was naturally shy and quiet. Moving into production required me to work with many people, learn new technical skills, and take on responsibilities such as operating a forklift and training other employees. Transitioning into production planning required me to learn an entirely different environment and become comfortable communicating with engineers, quality professionals, production operators, and other groups.
I have learned that asking questions, digging deeper, building relationships, and being willing to learn are essential. Every experience has helped me develop new skills and become more confident. I am proud that I have reached a point where people can come to me with questions and I can help them find solutions.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to do what you love and persevere. Things are going to get difficult, but you cannot give up. If you have a goal, stay committed to it and continue working toward it.
You are capable of more than you may think. Nothing worthwhile comes easily, and developing mental strength and the willingness to keep pushing forward can help you succeed while also becoming a stronger person through everything you overcome.
I also believe that starting with something you genuinely love can help guide you toward where you are meant to be. You may not get the job you originally wanted or end up exactly where you thought you would, but another door can open. You have to be willing to figure things out, keep moving forward, and persevere.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There are definitely challenges in my field. Our facility is currently going through a layoff, which has created a difficult and stressful environment. The past couple of months have been intense, and everyone has been on edge. Even during times of uncertainty, we still have to come to work, remain focused, perform our jobs, and most importantly, work safely.
I also encounter challenges in working with difficult coworkers and managing many changes at once. At the same time, we have new projects and processes developing, which creates opportunities to learn, adapt, and work with people across different departments.
One of my personal goals is to move into leadership or management. I have applied for leadership positions and have reached the interview stage, although I have not yet had the opportunity to move into one of those roles. I see continued learning, adaptability, and developing stronger leadership skills as important opportunities for my future.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trust and honesty have always been core values for me. I strive to be honest and trustworthy, and I believe those qualities are especially important within a team. People need to be able to trust one another, lean on each other, build each other up, and help each other succeed.
Doing the right thing and looking out for everyone's safety are also extremely important to me. I value being part of a team where everyone has an important role and where people work together toward the same goal.
I also find a strong sense of purpose in knowing that the work we do can help save lives. When many different departments and individuals contribute to a finished product, it reinforces for me how important teamwork, communication, trust, and accountability are.
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